Wedding Bells at TLC, More British People Coming to Your TV Set

There used to be an unspoken deal between the British and Americans regarding television. Their part of the deal was that they would be allowed on our programs either as reality-show villains or if they adopted unrecognizable mid-Atlantic accents like Hugh Laurie.

Our part of the deal was, there was no our part of the deal. We’re America.

Already this week, Ricky Gervais and Piers Morgan have violated this agreement, invading the consciousness of primetime with their rude humor and cricket references. (To rub it in, Morgan will interview Gervais tomorrow night.) But all this is simply prologue to Britain’s most brazen attempt to re-colonize America in 2011, as Prince William places the glass slipper on the foot of Kate Middleton in April. TLC, which loves itself some wedding stories, today announced a week of lead-up programming.

This will not be the end of it. By the time this is over, I tell you, we’ll all be speaking English! TLC’s announcement after the jump:

New York, NY- As the world awaits what is sure to be the most high-profile wedding in decades, TLC announces that the network will be airing a week-long event of programming starting Sunday, April 24 leading into the highly anticipated nuptials of Prince William and Kate Middleton on Friday, April 29.

TLC has teamed up with ITV Studios America to produce a special week-long Royal lineup featuring Royal editions of some of TLC’s most popular series, including a special that focuses on both British and American hoarders and extreme collectors of royal memorabilia. Also included throughout the week are specials with archived and exclusive footage of the Royal family, interviews with members of the Royal family as well as those who have been part of notable Royal events across the decades, and a special round table discussion with Royal experts and a celebrity host, leading into the network’s live early morning coverage of the event Friday, April 29. The weekend will also feature a special shortened version of the wedding and all the memorable moments leading up to it.

“With the success of TLC’s wedding shows, we wanted to get behind this epic event in a big way and provide our viewers with this special lineup to help enhance their overall Royal experience leading into the wedding,” says Nancy Daniels, SVP of Programming and Development, TLC. “ITV Studios America are the perfect partners to have on this project due to their expertise on the Royals and their vital relationships in London.”

“This is without question the most widely anticipated wedding in a generation,” ITV Studios America President and CEO Paul Buccieri commented. “ITV will leverage its local British expertise to bring American audiences the most intimate access to this landmark event. We couldn’t be happier continuing our relationship with TLC who are already wonderful partners on “Four Weddings”.